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Renovations with the best return on investment
Several years ago, when Steve Thomas was the host of "This Old House," I recall he commented in an interview somewhere that during his antique home renovation in Salem, Mass., he included all the bells and whistles he wanted. He said that as he intended to stay in the house for many, many years it made sense for him. However, he cautioned anyone who thought they might be moving sooner rather than later to be careful not to price themselves out of the market when remodeling the house.
As it turns out, Steve sold the house after 24 years of ownership in 2010 for over a half-million dollars more than he paid for it. While antique homes are notorious cash drains, it's still likely he made a considerable profit. And that was after the real estate crash.
For years, we've been reading articles about the Return on Investment (ROI) of remodeling projects when it comes time to resell. While the numbers vary a bit from year to year, or market to market, the overriding takeaway is that few projects will increase the bottom line market value of the property dollar to dollar. In other words, if one spends $50,000 on a new kitchen, it may only increase the property value by $40,000 (20 percent) or so. And this is assuming the potential buyers like what you've done with the renovation. If they don't care for what they see, they will start adding the price of remodeling yet again into their offer calculations.
Having lived with an old and out-of-date condo kitchen for several years, I was always fantasizing about how I would re-do it if I ever could. In my dreams, I saw Carrara marble countertops and gleaming top of the line stainless appliances. When I actually did eventually redo my kitchen, it did not include a beautiful new marble countertop -- I made do with my existing off-white Formica counters and while I did do stainless appliances, they were from a more modest line of appliances befitting my actual level of cooking and the space in which they lived.
Why? Because as beautiful as all that would be, I knew that the price would never come close to paying for itself. The kitchen was very small and could not get any bigger, and while I lived in a wealthy beach-side community, a small condo still had limited market value potential. And that leads off my list of five tips about resale and renovating costs:
Consider all the variables when it comes to projecting the resale value of a property. This includes the location, available size and who the potential buyers are. There is always a limit to how much a property will fetch and top of the line materials will not override these factors. Avoid being the most expensive house in your neighborhood. In other words, think twice before putting in $100,000 worth of improvements into a $100,000 house that's in a $100,000 kind of neighborhood.
ROI is improved when the investment makes a property bigger, more efficient or less costly down the road. More living space that comes from new additions, basement or attic remodels are usually very successful, assuming the costs are kept under control. Updated and efficient systems such as heating and plumbing, or a new roof, will also be welcomed by potential buyers.
Keep the "artistic" choices to a minimum when selecting appliances and other expensive yet "standard" items such as gas or wood burning stoves. A friend once fell in love with a cobalt blue enameled gas stove that would be installed in a prominent location in her dining room. Although it was her favorite color and could have been quite fantastic, she ultimately opted for a more common black stove, befitting her modest home and neighborhood. She knew that down the road, the brilliant blue stove probably wouldn't speak to potential buyers as it did to her.
The only purely decorative expenses that might be considered an investment in future resale value are on the outside of the house. Curb appeal is enormously important and a good paint job that highlights a welcoming front door, a nice lawn and pretty landscaping will go a long way towards resale value.
A word about permits, since this is about saving money: Attorney Kevin M. Veler, a construction attorney in Alpharetta, Ga., stated on Hometalk.com (a social network where homeowners, renters and home improvement pros share and help with home improvement), "Unless you know what you are doing, the contractor should pull the permit. If the contractor asks the homeowner to pull the permit that may be a red flag that the contractor does not have the required license to do the work."
"While you may 'save' a few dollars by not pulling a permit, you risk finding out that the work does not meet code, you will be asked at resale if there was unpermitted work on the home, and you may bring down the value of your home. Your 'savings' may be very costly in the long run."
All that being said, do invest in things that will bring you enjoyment and happiness in your home. As the real estate market has slowed, we're all staying in our homes for longer periods than we were in the 1990s to mid-2000s and we should enjoy where we live. While a kitchen remodel will likely only return 80 percent of its value, you will be getting much pleasure from your new kitchen or basement rec room -- and the value of enjoying one's home? Priceless.
Linda Merrill is an expert in the fields of interior design, media communications & marketing.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man with many aliases who was behind an anti-Muslim film that sparked violence in the Middle East is expected to be asked by a judge Wednesday whether he violated his probation for a 2010 bank fraud conviction.
Federal prosecutors said Mark Basseley Youssef, 55, had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officer and using aliases. If Youssef denies those allegations, a judge will then likely schedule an evidentiary hearing.
Youssef has been in a federal detention center since Sept. 28 after he was arrested for the probation violations and deemed a flight risk by a magistrate judge.
He went into hiding after a 14-minute trailer for the movie "Innocence of Muslims" was posted on YouTube. Angry protests stoked by the film broke out in Egypt and Libya and violence related to the film has spread, killing dozens. Enraged Muslims demanded punishment for Youssef, and a Pakistani cabinet minister has offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who kills him.
Federal authorities have said Youssef isn't behind bars because of the film or its content, which portrays Muhammad as a religious fraud, womanizer and pedophile. They said Youssef hasn't been truthful about his identity, using different names after he was convicted in 2010 of bank fraud.
Youssef was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He was barred from using computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer, though prosecutors said none of the violations involved the Internet.
An email left for Youssef's attorney, Steven Seiden, was not immediately returned Tuesday.
At least three names have been revealed to be associated with Youssef in the past several weeks. Court documents show Youssef legally changed his name from Nakoula Basseley Nakoula in 2002, but never told federal authorities, who used that as part of the probation violation case against him.
Youssef, an Egyptian-born Christian who's now a U.S. citizen, sought to obtain a passport in his new name but still had a California driver's license as Nakoula, authorities said. Youssef used a third name, Sam Bacile, in association with the film.
Authorities said Youssef used more than a dozen aliases and opened about 60 bank accounts and had more than 600 credit and debit cards to conduct a check fraud scheme.
When he was identified as Nakoula after the movie trailer went viral, federal probation officials questioned him. He denied using the name Sam Bacile, which was listed on the YouTube account that posted the trailer, and said his role in the film was limited to writing the script.
Tess Lopez, a former federal probation officer who now is a sentencing consultant in Northern California, said if federal prosecutors can prove Youssef violated his probation, it's likely he would receive more prison time because the new allegations are similar to the original crime.
"Given the nature of the conviction, it would normally warrant a prison sentence," Lopez said.
Turtleread 9 years, 2 months ago
Lock him up for five years, strip his citizenship, put him on a plane to Russia and let him wander around the airport until the Russians let him in. (tongue-in-cheek)


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Remembering one of the great recipients of the awards to be announced today
The winners of the 2007 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced this afternoon, including the awards for five categories of books. And if the historical pattern holds, in a decade or two — if not by the end of the day tomorrow — some of the recipients will look more like midgets than giants. So before you read latest winners, why not catch up with some of the titans of past lists?
One of my favorites is The Stories of John Cheever, winner of the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This masterpiece has all of Cheever's greatest stories — including "The Swimmer," "The Enormous Radio" and "The Country Husband" — and others that won deserved praise and bestsellerdom for their author. Many of these tales first appeared in The New Yorker in the 1950s. And as Jonathan Yardley wrote a few years ago in the Washington Post, they "have rivals but no superiors in the national literature": "Though many gifted writers wrote memorably during that decade, four stood apart: Flannery O'Connor, Peter Taylor, Eudora Welty and John Cheever."
One of the signal virtues of The Stories of John Cheever is that Cheever was among the last great American moralists. His characters have a sharp awareness of good and evil that pervades their lives but doesn't keep them from getting into trouble that, in most of his stories, provides a strong narrative arc. So his work operates on a level that doesn't exist in the many modern stories that are driven by "anything goes" morality that can devolve into amorality. In the preface to the Stories, Cheever suggests another reason why his work has endured:
"These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with river light, when you heard Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat. Here is the last of that generation of chain smokers who woke the world in the morning with their coughing, who used to get stoned at cocktail parties and perform obsolete dance steps like 'the Cleveland Chicken,' sail for Europe on ships, who were truly nostalgic for love and happiness, and whose gods were as ancient as yours and mine, whoever you are."
The book that wins the wins the Pulitzer Prize for fiction today may well be the best novel or short story collection of 2006. But no one can know whether another book will surpass it next year. That's all the more reason to cherish the work of a writer who remains unsurpassed among the chroniclers of his era.
The Stories of John Cheever (Vintage, $17.95, paperback) was first published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1978. The book won, in addition to the Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Critics Circle Award and an American Book Award (now National Book Award).
Links: The names of the Pulitzer Prize winners will be announced at 3 p.m. today and posted at 3:15 p.m. at www.pulitzer.org.
© 2007 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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Search hydropower projects
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In state/territory
Current status
Type of facility
Conventional Hydro consists of a dam or diversion that diverts water to a powerhouse either at the base of the dam or further downstream via tunnels, conduits, and/or canals.
Pumped Storage is a method of generating power by moving water between an upper reservoir and lower reservoir using lower price non-peak power to pump the water to the upper reservoir then generating higher price power during times of high demand. Pumped storage hydro (PSH) projects are either open-loop (connected to a naturally flowing water feature) or closed-loop (not continuously connected to a naturally flowing water feature).
Mode of hydropower operation
Canal/Conduit generation is smaller-scale generation that is often added to existing irrigation and water supply canals. Even more limited is adding small microturbines to water and wastewater lines.
Peaking (Load Following) generation follows demand to maximize revenue from the project. This form of generation requires a storage capacity in order to save water during times of low power demand to generate later when the demand (price) is higher. This type of operation can result in erratic and rapid flow fluctuations downstream of the powerhouse as well as rapid fluctuations of reservoir levels. Intermediate peaking projects tend to have smaller reservoirs and occasional releases and are operated to moderate the intensity of peaking for hydro generation.
Reregulating is the process of using a storage reservoir to capture erratic upstream flows created by peaking generation and then generating in a baseload fashion where the flows change gradually.
Run-of-river generation occurs where a project lacks storage capacity and needs to generate in real time using whatever inflow the project is receiving from upriver. This type of generation may be considered baseload generation as it occurs 24/7 and the quantity of generation is controlled by natural climate and weather cycles.
Run-of-river/Peaking generation is a hybrid of peaking and run-of-river when a project has limited storage capacity and is mostly operated in a run-of-river mode with the addition of limited peaking generation.
Run-of-river/Upstream Peaking generation is a project without storage capacity and its inflow and outflow is controlled by upstream power generation.
* Learn more about modes of hydropower operation here.
Conventional generating capacity
Pumped storage generating capacity
Permit type
FERC license expiration date range
Hoist P-10855Active Conventional Hydro
FERC project name: Dead River
McClure P-10855Active Conventional Hydro
FERC project name: Dead River
The Hydropower Reform Coalition is proud to offer this interactive resource that combines data from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), American Rivers, and our own members' contributions and insights. We update our data every year.


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Ferragamo launches signature Fiamma bag
MILAN (AP) — Perhaps the "It" bag's star just burned too bright. Those must-have handbag wonders, which flew out of stores and into sudden oblivion, have given way to something more enduring: signature bags.
These are bags so exclusive and enduring, that they become emblematic of the label they bear.
Iconic bags have been around since the fusion of celebrity with fashion -- Hermes has the Birkin, Fendi the baguette, Gucci the Hobo bag, and so on -- but now they are becoming a cornerstone of brand strategy, acting as a flagship item.
Ferragamo has launched its own entry into the category this week, the Fiamma named for founder Salvatore Ferragamo's late daughter who was the force behind Ferragamo's first handbag collection back in the 1970s. Designed by Massimiliano Giornetti, the satchel-styled bag takes elements from a 1990s Fiamma Ferragamo design, included a top handle and a locked flap that is meant to be both functional and aesthetically appealing.
"Handbags are something of a collector items, something you can pass down from generation to generation, so it really has value. It is something that also represents a brand," James Ferragamo, grandson of Ferragamo and the brand's director of women's leather goods, said by telephone Tuesday, ahead of a gala dinner launching the new bag. "We want to maintain this in our collection for many years to come."
The Fiamma comes in three sizes, from a tiny one appropriate for the evening to a larger carry-all, and has many iterations, from leather, python, crocodile, stingray, calf and fox. The price ranges from $1,650 to $27,000.
Ultimately, the costumer will decide what bag becomes iconic.
"I think people want something that endures," said Alison Minton, a fashion blogger and handbag enthusiast who chronicles her passion for accessories on her blog accessorygeneration.com. "I think people don't want to buy a new bag every season, but want a bag that is stylish, and well-made and is going to last."
That, of course, doesn't mean just one. Minton herself has many favorites in her collection, including a Birkin bag and a Gucci bag that her mother bought her in Italy a decade ago and a Goyard tote bag -- which she said now would be out of her price range. "Luckily for me, when I bought my iconic bags, things were not as crazy as they are now."
Accessories have proven themselves recession-resistant, and the economic traction they give fashion houses is making it even more critical for bands to develop an iconic bag, one that "can stand as a brand's flagship item," according to Ginger Reeder of Neiman Marcus.
With sales of leather goods the fastest-growing in the luxury sector, there is enough room for every house to have an iconic bag, "and most do," Reeder said. Global sales of leather goods, excluding footwear, reached 36 billion euros last year, nearly one-third of all luxury sales, according to a study by Bain & Partners.
Ferragamo underlined the intergenerational aspirations for the bag, reflecting the company's three generational family history, with an on-line short film project featuring mother-daughter pairings from iconic families, including Mariel Hemingway and her daughter Langley Hemingway Fox.
Mariel Hemingway says she appreciates how fashion helps boost her confidence when she appears in front of big groups -- something that hit home when she kept receiving compliments from strangers for a pair of Ferragamo two-tone sandals at a decidedly non-fashion event, a Washington, D.C. gathering on mental health issues, something Hemingway has been working on.
"The point of fashion is not for people to walk the red carpet. It is so people can live their lives looking fashionable, stylish and beautiful in any realm they work in, " Hemingway said.
i have the mini. i like mini bags in black simple min slightly round.
i have a men's wallet and i never really want to carry too much i am not the girl with the brief case back. i am the girl who takes chapstick wallet and my phone.
it is silly bec the amount of things you dont actually use in your bag.


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Z Flex NovaVent Storm Collar for 4 inch Stainless Steel Vent Pipe - 2NVSC4
- Category III - Interchangeable with Z-Vent Part 2SVSLSF04
Product ID • ZFLEXSC04035
NovaFlex Novavent 2NVSC4, 4 inch diameter Storm Collar, is designed for use with boilers, high efficiency gas and oil heaters and water heaters where cool flue gases are vented under pressure. Novavent in 3 and 4 Inch contains a built-in, fail-safe gasket and locking band connection. No sealant is required.
Novavent Z Flex 2NVSC4 is the perfect venting choice for gas tankless water heaters and gas boilers that require 3" or 4" CAT III stainless steel venting. When compared to plastic and other resin based materials used for venting systems, Novavent displays considerably lower thermal expansion and contraction making it much more resistance to stress corrosion cracking.
Z Flex Novavent 2NVSC4, 4 inch diameter Storm Collar, will work with Z Flex Z-Vent 2SVSRCF04 venting. Novavent is a less expensive alternative to Z-Vent and is also manufactured by Z-Flex which has over 30 years of proven reliability. Novavent has a thinner gauge metal than Z-Vent but still meets all applicable national building and fire codes and is UL listed 1738 for Category II,III, IV gas appliances. Novavent has appliance adapters, vent terminators, straight vent lengths, elbows and mulitple adjustable lengths available.
Manuals & Docs
Technical Specs
Z Flex NovaVent Storm Collar 2NVSC4 Specs
- Diameter
- 4 Inches
- Vent Type
- Storm Collar
- Material
- Stainless Steel
- Gasketed Connections
- no sealant required
Z Flex NovaVent Storm Collar 2NVSC4 Features
- Z-Flex Novavent Venting is interchangable with Z-Flex Z-Vent Venting
- Highest Pressure Rating in the Industry: more than 3 times the standard
- Fusion Welded Pipe Seams: provides an air-tight seam, smooth finish, better fit
- 1 inch Clearance to Combustibles (Unenclosed): can be installed with minimum clearance (subject to manufacturer suggestion)
- UL listed 1738 for Category II,III,IV gas appliances
- The only metallic special gas vent pipe that can be cut to length on site
- 15 year limited warranty
- 100 % recyclable
Info & Links


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For the latest updates to Global Public Square, including show information and Fareed's Take, visit the new GPS site on CNN.com.
This is in American national interest.
Senator McCain, with all due respects, this ain't Vietnam. These folks will have you for breakfast. You know it well with all the briefings you get. Tell us when are you going to solve the Palestine and Indian Occupied Kashmir problems, sir?
At least, McCain is willing to fight.
We cannot always run away and pretend that cowardice is wonderful.
If one fights, he may die...a hero.
Slaying and raype and beheadings are trademarks of hindu culture emanating out of Gita Bhagawad. As more of them migrate to our countries they bring along that disgraceful trait with them and pollute our societies.
Untermensch Butcher of Gujarat Terrorist Narendra Modi of India needs to be dragged to ICJ The Hague and face trial just like Milosevic.
There is nothing more I detest than a vicious murdering genocidalist like Modi. How can reasonable people elect him as a leader. Shame on India. Shame on North Korea.
@Travis Stalin and Mussolinis were world leaders too. Modi is the Joseph Mengele of modern times.
He is a pariah. A murderer. A genocidalist. Like Gandhi he enjoys underage boys. In fact his boyfriend is from Myanmar.
He is a woman basher. He married an underage girl and abandoned her on nuptial night.
Now if you and your pappy like him then god bless ya'll. But from my perch I don't want to be Modi. In fact I don't wanna be a "leader" in India. They are ALL raypists. The fact of the matter is I don't even wanna go to India because I don't wanna get AIDS.
Hindoos by far are the most disgusting people that i have ever come across in this world. Truly dirty and without any civic sense. Very unhygienic also. Everywhere the Hindoos have been shunned. They have been kicked out of Singapore, Kenya and Uganda and Australia and Barbados. Nobody wants them.
Now Bangladesh has torched their temples and homes and thrown them out of the country.
Italy made a mockery of them. Even the Americans have jailed most of them. All these people see the ughliness in Hindus and want them gone . They can't all be wrong!!!!
@ Travis lists many groups as undesirable.
If USA citizens and their guests don't brush up their Ayn Rand, they will soon be at the top of the list.
Our mentality has, during the past century, changed from one of earning to one of being given.
I prefer dirty workers to clean beggars.
I read journalistic speculation that Chicago may become another Detroit.
How could that happen to a city as great as Chicago was during the 1950s?
How could that happen?
Travis is a lonely re tarded little troll.
There is no Travis. He is most of the trolls in blue since page 1.
The state really needs to catch this tard with a net and place him in a padded room.
The tard makes lists, talks to himself, steals names, and talks about Modi and India every 3 hours.
He is fascinated with talking about ra pe in India.
This person is weird.
Folks, all riif raffs gone. No more chrissies, banasies or philips nor ruperts etc. Mission accomplished.
I am signing off. So long.
WAIT WAIT !! James Jones and Joey are disguised as them!!! They happen to be hindoo terrorists from India rayin their mothers per Ramayana their hindoo scripture.
Nope. I'm still here. Sorry to disappoint you.
And I post as banasy only; Chrissy, Philip, rupert, Joey and I are 5 individual people.
There. You may spend the ready of the day talking shit about me.
Have fun.
*rest of the day.
It is about time hindoos stood on their feet and quit begging with outstretched bowl seeking money, jobs, food, technological aid of all kinds. India has become a burden on the world, its neighbors and a liability. A cultural debacle, global capital of gang raipes, genocides, poverty stricken, cannibals, sponsor of terrorism, India has become a pariah nation.
All these frikkin hindus in India do is eat free chapattis provided as aid, belch, fart, clean their curry covered hands on their dhotis and complain how bad Americans and Pakistanis are. Them hindus s hit in the same plate they eat out of. Typical baniya DNA. No class. No sophistication. Just pure bumpkins. Gujjars. Makes my skin crawl just thinking of these hindu bhungees.
Silly hindus going about raping each other. No contribution to this world. Just a burden on world resources. Eating away the granaries sent to them as aid. Worth more dead than alive on the organ grey market.
You nailed it. These hindus eat with both hands cupped and shove their fingers wayyy into their esophagus as if it was their last meal. Then s uck lick their fingers one by one. Put their pinky in the ear drum to clean wax, s uck the finger again, put the index finger into their nose, lickity lick again, scratch their a zz and then wipe it on their sleeves. So goes the ritual.
Have you ever seen hindus eat in langars?
Free food attracts them like bees. They squat toes up and eat food up from the floor with their feet onto the hands and into the mouth. They then gargle their mouth with water and spit it out in front of others eating adjacent to them. Hygiene is paramount ... of sorts. You get the gist. Ahem.
Hey guys, when you say hindoos/hindus/hinddoous you actually refer to people from India/Bharat/Hindoostan. The cave people. Right?
Does anyone know if IDF Israeli Defense Forces are still providing security to India on China border?
Yes. In addition they are commanding Indian Army on the western borders.
Western borders with Pakistan.
India is a pariah nation like South Africa was. Massacring minorities. Killing innocent civilians. Subjugating the freedom of speech. Trampling the rights of women.
Nazis and hindus were and are a match made in heaven. They feed off each other. They share identical philosophies. They are both anti humanists. Hindus are the nouveau Nazis. Modi is their leader. He should be dragged to ICJ to face trial. Along with his boyfriend from Myanmar.
Glad to see soooo many people think alike when it comes to India and concerns we all have about its exploding populace living in abject poverty and medievalism.
Listen to this.
LONDON: India continues to be the country with the highest number of people (1.1 billion) defecating in the open. Nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide defecate in the open and 82% of them live in just 10 countries, says a report jointly prepared by the WHO and the Unicef. Nigeria is close second to India.
"Open defecation is the root cause of so many diseases," said Bruce Gordon, acting coordinator for sanitation and health at the WHO.
It is reported that India has been plodding US Obama Administration to cut nuclear deal with Iran. India owes Iran $35 Billion for oil purchases in contravention of US Sanctions.
Bomb these Indian curry folks.
My hero @Blue Saffron.
I miss the brilliant comments that Mr. Blue Saffron used to make also. He is a legend of this forum.
It breaks my heart to see the troll sitting on the fringes lurking. Reading the comments 24/7. IT has been trivialized. Finito.
I am Mark Drummond and I approve this message.
Hindus look like s hit. Hindus smell like s hit.
Therefore Hindus must be s hit.
Mark n Mark. Dead on !! This loser has been marginalized for most part. Once in a while it raises it head to be kicked down again.
Where I come from we feed terrorists like Modi alive to Aghoris or Jeffrey Dahmers.
One hindu the other American. The comparison ends there ... at cannibalism.
The trolls lurk
Folks, please don't forget to watch "India's Daughter" being released on Int'l Women's Day, March 8, 2015. It is about gang raypes in India.
Thank you for the heads up @Buddy.
BBC is way ahead of CNN in news coverage.
My pleasure. Have communicated with CNN and they have covered this story today and will follow up with a detailed program. This is a matter of women's rights, abuse, freedom of expression et al.
I have been saying all along that India is the capital of all terrorism.


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[Update, 11:05 a.m. ET Tuesday] This post is no longer being updated. For Tuesday's coverage, please read this story.
[Update, 11:41 p.m. ET] Stephen Segatore, a nurse who was at the medical tent near the finish line for the Boston Marathon, said emergency responders immediately went into mass-casualty mode.
"We had full trauma response at the scene," he told CNN. "We had physicians, nurses who are experienced in trauma care. We had EMTs and it was a full Level 1 trauma experience."
Segatore said he treated at least 25 people as those experienced in trauma care stepped forward while others treated people with minor injuries.
[Update, 11:35 p.m. ET] Saudi ambassador to the United States Adel Al-Jubeir condemned the bombings in Boston and offered his condolences to victims' families.
"What occurred today in Boston is a heinous crime which contradicts the values of humanity." he said.
[Update, 10:52 p.m. ET] The total of injured has risen to 144 people, officials at Boston area hospitals said. That includes three additional patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
[Update, 10:41 p.m. ET] A law enforcement source in Boston tells CNN that investigators have a "number of active leads, and some good early progress in the forensics analysis."
[Update, 10:07 p.m. ET] Dr. Peter Fagenholz told reporters that there were 29 wounded people at Massachusetts General Hospital, eight of whom were in critical condition. Many of the people had shrapnel injuries to their lower extremites, he said.
"We have performed several amputations," he said.
There were no pediatric patients among the wounded, he said.
[Update, 9:38 p.m. ET] Dr. Allan Panter, who was near the finish line waiting for his wife who was running the race, told CNN he was standing about 20 to 25 feet from the first blast. He said he treated victims on the street after the explosion.
"I saw at least six to seven people down next to me," he said. "They protected me from the blast. One lady expired. One gentleman lost both his (lower) limbs. Most of the injuries were lower extremities. I could not figure out why the young lady had expired. I could not find any injury on her thorax."
[Update, 9:28 p.m. ET] Bill Iffrig, seen in video wearing an orange tank top and being blown over as he approached the finish line, told CNN's Piers Morgan that he was feeling OK after the blast.
"I got down to within about 15 feet of the finishing apron and heard just tremendous explosion, sounded like a bomb went off right next to me, and the shock waves just hit my whole body and my legs just started jittering around," he said. "I knew i was going down and so i ended up down on the blacktop."
Iffrig, 78, said he was assisted by one of the event volunteers, who helped him up so he could finish the race. After that, the worker looked for aid for Iffrig, who had just a scratch from his fall.
"He insisted on getting a wheelchair over there so we started to do that, but then before that was rounded up, i said my hotel's about six blocks away so I think I can make it okay. So they let me get out of there and I went on home to my wife."
[Update, 8:55 p.m. ET] A Saudi national with a leg wound was under guard at a Boston hospital in connection with the bombings at the Boston Marathon, but investigators cannot say he is involved at this time and he is not in custody, a law enforcement official said Monday evening.
[Update, 8:54 p.m. ET] Three people were killed in the bombings, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told reporters Monday night, raising the toll by one.
[Update, 8:52 p.m. ET] The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation, Rick DesLauriers, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office, told reporters.
[Update, 8:44 p.m.ET ] The Boston Celtics home game against the Indiana Pacers, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was canceled, the NBA announced. With the regular season almost at its end, the contest will not be made up.
[Update, 8:36 p.m. ET] Investigators have warned law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for a "darker-skinned or black male" with a possible foreign accent in connection with Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon, according to a law enforcement advisory obtained by CNN.
The man was seen with a black backpack and sweatshirt and was trying to get into a restricted area about five minutes before the first explosion, the lookout notice states.
[Update, 8:35 p.m.] Hospital workers have treated 141 people after the Boston Marathon bombings, officials at those facilities said Monday night. Two people died in the terror attack, including an 8-year-old boy, a state law enforcement source said.
[Update, 8:32 p.m.] A statement has been issued by the race organizers: "The Boston Athletic Association extends its deepest sympathies to all those who were affected in any way by todays events.
"Today is a sad day for the City of Boston, for the running community, and for all those who were here to enjoy the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. What was intended to be a day of joy ...and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance.
"We can confirm that all of the remaining runners who were out on the course when the tragic events unfolded have been returned to a community meeting area.
"At this time, runners bags in Boston which remain unclaimed may be picked up by runners presenting their bib number or proof of race participation at the Castle, at 101 Arlington Street, in Boston.
"At this time, we are cooperating with the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and all federal law enforcement officials.
"We would like to thank the countless people from around the world who have reached out to support us today."
[Update, 7:57 p.m. ET] Doctors are "pulling ball bearings out of people in the emergency room," a terrorism expert briefed on the investigation told CNN's Deborah Feyerick.
The same source said the blasts resulted in at least 10 lost limbs.
[Update, 7:43 p.m. ET] An 8-year-old boy was among those killed, a state law enforcement source said, according to CNN's John King.
[Update, 7:38 p.m. ET] At least 132 people - including eight children - have been injured in the bombings, according to Boston-area hospitals. Boston police earlier said that two people were killed.
At least 17 of the injured are in critical condition, and at least 25 are in serious condition, area hospitals said.
[Update, 7:08 p.m. ET] A witness, Marilyn Miller, told CNN that she was about 30 feet away from the first bomb when it went off. The second bomb came about 12 seconds after and about 50 to 100 yards away from the first, according to authorities and an analysis of video from the site.
Miller was waiting for a runner who, it turns out, was probably about 10 minutes away from the finish line.
"We saw injuries all around us," Miller said. Someone was putting pressure on a woman's neck. "A little boy, his leg was torn up. A woman, (people) were (shouting), 'Critical, critical, get out of out way!'"
[Update, 6:51 p.m. ET] At least 110 people have been injured in the bombings, according to Boston-area hospitals.
[Update, 6:49 p.m. ET] Boston cell phone services were overloaded in the wake of the blast, slowing the city's network dramatically and hampering the investigation in the early going, federal law enforcement officials told CNN.
Unconfirmed rumors began circulating on social media and elsewhere that law enforcement had shut down cell service to prevent more explosives from being detonated remotely. But mobile companies were saying that was never the case, CNN's Doug Gross reports.
"Verizon Wireless has not been asked by any government agency to turn down its wireless service," a spokesman for that company told CNN. "Any reports to that effect are inaccurate."
In other media reports, Sprint similarly denied being asked to shut down service.
Online, Bostonians were being encouraged to stay off of their mobile phones except for emergencies and even open up their wireless connections to help take the load off of the cellular data network.
"If you live or run a business in #Boston near bombsite (please) open your wifi for people to use," tweeted Disaster Tech Lab, an Irish nonprofit dedicated to providing technology to assist in emergency situations.
[Update, 6:47 p.m. ET] Initial tests indicate that the two bombs were small and possibly crude, with the tests not indicating any high-grade explosive material was used, a federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN national security contributor and former homeland security adviser Fran Townsend.
The source said the FBI considers the incident a terrorist attack, "but they've made clear to me they do not know at this time whether those responsible for the attack were a foreign or domestic group," Townsend said.
[Update, 6:35 p.m. ET] U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-Massachusetts, said an unexploded device was found at a hotel on Boylston Street, and another unexploded device was found at an undisclosed location.
Keating, who is a member of the House Homeland Security committee and has spoken to law enforcement sources, tells CNN's Dierdre Walsh that the incidents were a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."
[Update, 6:14 p.m. ET] More from President Obama, who just wrapped up his brief statement at the White House: "We still do not know who did this or why ... but make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of (this). We will find out who did this. We will find out why they did this. ... Any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."
[Update, 6:11 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama is speaking about the bombings now: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight, and Michelle and I send out deepest thoughts and prayers to the victims," Obama said at the White House.
[Update, 5:59 p.m. ET] John Manis, an eyewitness in his 50s, was about 200 feet away from the finish line near the Prudential building when the bombings occurred. He felt the blast to the point that it made him and others around him jump in the air, and some others around him fell down on the ground, he said, according to CNN's Eden Pontz.
Manis said he heard two blasts about five seconds apart. He said there was confusion all around him, and he was hustled into the nearby Mandarin Hotel. Officials wouldn't let them leave the hotel for a bit, and he says all who were there were all frisked by police. He said that when he left, he saw broken storefronts and lots of blood.
[Update, 5:51 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama is expected to deliver a statement at about 6:10 p.m. ET from the White House.
[Update, 5:35 p.m. ET] Google has established a person-finder related to the Boston bombings. People who are looking for someone or have information about someone can make reports there.
[Update, 5:31 p.m. ET] Boston police now appear to be backing away from their commissioner's earlier statement that a third incident - at the JFK Library 5 miles from the finish line - might have been related to the Boston Marathon blasts.
On Twitter, Boston police say: "Update JFK incident appears to be fire related."
[Update, 5:21 p.m. ET] Precautions are being taken at the White House because of the Boston explosions, CNN's Jessica Yellin reports. See that in the video below, as well as Vice President Joe Biden's reaction to the incident:
[Update, 5:17 p.m. ET] In the video below, a man describes the initial blast, saying the impact was so strong it "almost blew my head off." He was not injured, but saw many people sustain horrific injuries.
[Update, 5:15 p.m. ET] The Boston Globe is reporting a much higher injury count. They report that more than 100 people are being treated for injuries, citing local hospitals.
[Update, 5:10 p.m. ET] Hospitals now say they are treating as many as 51 wounded after the bombings. Two people have been killed, according to Boston police.
[Update, 5:09 p.m. ET] It will take a long time to clear the area, because lots of people dropped bags and whatever else they had when the finish-line blasts happened. Authorities have to check all of those bags, and bomb squads "may be blowing things up over the next few hours" out of precaution, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.
In the words of Boston Globe political reporter Cynthia Needham, on Twitter:
Thousands of runners still had yet to finish the race when the bombs exploded in a spectator area along Boylston Street near the finish line, CNN executive producer Matt Frucci at the scene.
[Update, 4:58 p.m. ET] New details from Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis:
- A third explosion happened at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library "about a half-hour ago." The library is about 5 miles southeast of the Boston Marathon finish line.
- Police don't immediately know whether that explosion is related to the two near the Boston Marathon finish line.
- The two blasts near the finish line - along Boylston Street near Copley Square - "happened 50 to 100 yards apart."
- "We're recommending to people that they stay home ... and that they don't go anyplace and congregate in large crowds."
- Relatives of people who may be missing in the area can call the mayor's hotline at 617-635-4500.
- Anyone who has information about the bombings or saw anything suspicious can call 1-800-494-TIPS.
[Update, 4:46 p.m. ET] Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says "this is a horrific day in Boston."
"My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured," Patrick said in a statement released this afternoon. "I have been in touch with the president, Mayor Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs."
[Update, 4:45 p.m. ET] It appears that so many people are using cell phones in the center of Boston, consistent service is hard to get - and the overload is hampering the investigation, two federal law enforcement sources tell CNN.
[Update, 4:40 p.m. ET] Another journalist says she saw victims who lost limbs. This account is from Boston Globe political reporter Cynthia Needham:
"Outside MGH: Head of emergency medicine says 19 have been brought to MGH, six critically injured, some with amputations," she posted to Twitter.
Earlier, we noted that Boston.com sports producer Steve Silva reported that he "saw dismemberment" and "blood everywhere."
[Update, 4:37 p.m. ET] Organizers with the London Marathon, scheduled for this coming Sunday, have taken notice.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston," London Marathon officials said Monday. "Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families. It is a very sad day for athletics and for our friends and colleagues in marathon running. Our security plan is developed jointly with the Metropolitan Police and we were in contact with them as soon as we heard the news."
[Update, 4:30 p.m. ET] Boston firefighters have found what they believe is an unexploded device after the blasts, a government official said, according to CNN's Joe Johns.
[Update, 4:27 p.m. ET] "I saw blood everywhere," Boston.com sports producer Steve Silva told Boston.com.
Silva told the news outlet that he was near the finish line when the explosions happened. He said he saw a number of injuries in the area where spectators were. He saw "someone lost their leg," and he said "people are crying, people are confused."
"It was just an explosion, it came out of nowhere," he said. "There are multiple injuries. I saw dismemberment, I saw blood everywhere. People are badly injured."
[Update, 4:19 p.m. ET] We have a new injury count: According to hospital officials, at least 28 people are being treated for injuries connected to this afternoon's blasts near the Boston Marathon finish line.
Nineteen were being treated at Massachusetts General and nine at Tufts Medical Center, officials at those facilities said. Boston police earlier put the number of victims at two dead and 22 hurt.
[Update, 4:16 p.m. ET] "People started scrambling, pushing, shoving" when the explosions happened in a sidewalk area along Boylston Street, near the finish line in the Copley Square area, says CNN executive producer Matt Frucci at the scene.
Frucci said he heard the blasts.
"After the dust settled, (I saw) six or seven people strewn about the area where the second (explosion) was.
[Update, 4:11 p.m. ET] A Red Cross website has been established to help people find loved ones in the area.
"Individuals can register themselves as safe or search for loved ones," Massachusetts' emergency management agency says.
[Update, 4:08 p.m. ET] At least two people have been killed and 22 are injured in the apparent bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Boston police say.
[Update, 4:02 p.m. ET] A Massachusetts General Hospital spokeswoman tells CNN 19 victims have been brought in.
[Update,3:57 p.m. ET] On their Twitter page, Boston marathon officials made this announcement: "There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today's Boston Marathon. We are working with law enforcement to understand what exactly has happened."
[Update, 3:53 p.m. ET] New York is taking precautions as a result of the explosions at the Boston Marathon.
In a written statement, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said: "We're stepping up security at hotels and other prominent locations in the city through deployment of the NYPD's critical response vehicles until more about the explosion is learned.
[Update, 3:45 p.m. ET] Paramedics were treating several victims at the scene, and police ordered onlookers to back away from the area. Troops from the Massachusetts National Guard were assisting police as well.
Onlooker Josh Matthews said he heard the blast, then saw police running toward the scene.
"We just heard a lot of sirens, and people were kind of frantic, and it was a bad situation, so we got out of there," he said.
[Update, 3:37 p.m.] Four victims of explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line are at the emergency room at Massachusetts General Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman told CNN. She had no information about the victims' conditions.
[Posted at 3:25 p.m. ET] A pair of explosions rocked the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon, injuring at least a half-dozen people, a CNN producer at the scene said.
The blasts occurred a few seconds apart, shrouding downtown Boston's Copley Square in smoke. Paramedics were treating several victims at the scene, and police ordered onlookers to back away from the area, CNN Producer Matt Frucci reported.
The explosions occurred about 2:45 p.m., about an hour after the first runners had crossed the finish line, Frucci said.
Time to arm ourselves! And to think, politicians want to TAKE our guns away!
Ironically it was probably gun-happy bigots like you who did this.
Ok. So here's the deal, Tim and Rabbit. Bombs are illegal, yes? What happens? Bombs go off. Guns become illegal (as you're hoping for). And so no more shootings will happen? CHanging the gun laws is not going to solve mass shootings. People will do what they wish, with or without the law.
Secondly, prayers to all of Boston.
when will congress pass legislation to ban bombs?
MORE PROOF that the end is NEAR. WORLD AT MORE UNREST THAN EVER. How can anyone have hope for the future?
Just wait – see who they blame for this. It will explain much who they choose for a scapegoat. Often DC gets tired of waiting for a "crisis" to take advantage of...
It couldn't possibly have been done by foreign terrorists, because our President went on an American apology tour during his first term so everyone should just love America by now. What a horribly tragedy.
I'm guessing this is sarcasm....right?
You're an idiot. Don't misrepresent the left's position to make yourself feel "in the right."
Pretty poor apology tour he gave, then, since there wasn't a single apology on it.
That isn't how it works. Not everyone is gonna be buddy-buddy with America no matter what the president does. It is most likely that THIS was a foreign terrorist attack.
Before you mouth off why don't we find out for sure who it is. I am curious, what race of people would you go after for the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma city? The two people responsible were white.
False flag alert
you named it !!
Yeah, I would definitely not be surprised if this was a false flag.
Maybe they were North Korean terrorists and now we positively have to invade, maybe they were Iranian and now the government and their Zionist benefactors have their "excuse" to bomb them and start a war or maybe even Pakistan since the last one isn't doing everything our government wants it to do and was probably the target of the Afghan invasion to begin with.
I just hope Americans have realized that our government is made up of filthy stinking liars and to say no to war and yes to peace because everyone everywhere has a family and just like us no one wants to see harm come to them.
People dead and injuried and people making senseless comments. And YOU wonder why this country has problems!
couldn't agree more. Ban Islam? It's not the religion. It's the people. If christian people did something aweful, as many of them do everyday, ban Christianity? LOL
I wonder if the Obama administration will try to pin this on Bush..wait for it.....
you are stupid.
Explain to me, with your infinitely unbound 8th grade education, how this blame rests on Obama?
My prayers go out to those affected by this terrible tragedy.
No, it is unreasonable to blame Bush for this. So, Obama would not do that. It is more than reasonable to blame Bush for causing the economic crisis. Please blame him appropriately and truthfully.
Now we are waiting for Muslims to condemn this act and show solidarity to nation/peace using taqia from their book to deceive infidels...
no wonder when this and probably more . Use less TSA, Police everywhere, all for nothing !!!!
just bother the little ones and create agrivation . Just another explosion to increase the survilance state of US terrroism against their citicens into the next level.
If we still beleive in the government lie about 911 we not ready to see the truth in this horrible crime either.
No Police or military can protect us from that only the change in this fu...... policestate system
your comment makes no sense whatsoever. The incorrect spelling didn't help either.
You ignorant cretin!!!
one of the reports said they have a saudi suspect under guard at one of the hospitals... anyone seeing confirmation on this?
When the people are treated and the dead mourned let's try something different: Rather than trade in our few remaining freedoms for security (which doesn't materialize) let's insist on more freedoms for ourselves. And if these attacks came from overseas let's express a willingness to destroy our enemies without feeling obligated to occupy and fix their societies. Make the price high and they'll choose someone else next time.
Thats the problem, they extremists are crazy they will not care it would fuel their hate more
DITTO to Charlie!
Looks good!


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Ale In App/Website Coursera Called "the Science Of Wellbeing"
Online courses are not like traditional colleges that have hundreds of hours of lectures. Instead, they provide a solid foundation for further study. Coursera gives you access to courses from top universities. There are courses in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Depending on the course, there are videos and interactive transcripts to accompany your reading material.
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You can also list your Coursera courses if you are looking for a job and are interested to further your education. List them as MOOCs or as an example of continued professional development. These will not only strengthen your resume but also show potential employers that your knowledge in your field is valuable. This is something you should mention to make sure your resume stands out from other applicants. Then again, there's always a good chance you'll be hired after you finish your Coursera courses.
Thousands of courses from the world's most prestigious universities can be found on the Coursera website. The site is 100% online and features over 4300 courses. More than 200 top universities and companies have joined the online platform to offer a variety of specialized courses. A variety of courses will be industry-relevant so you can enhance your skills with knowledge relevant to your profession. Coursera is completely free so there's no reason to not check out the offerings.
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Thursday, 13 March 2014 08:49 AM EDT
VATICAN CITY — From his simple sound bites to his breaking of Vatican rules, Pope Francis has made being Catholic cool in his first year.
He might not like his superstar status, but he certainly knows how to work a crowd and he has endeared himself to the public for looking out for the poor and radically shifting the church's focus to mercy rather than moralizing.
"Now, people are happy to say 'Well, actually I am a Catholic,' and sometimes they're quite keen to let themselves be known as a Catholic," British Cardinal Vincent Nichols said. "And I think that's the effect of Pope Francis. There is credibility around the Catholic project."
But not everyone is thrilled and expectations are high for his second year, with high-profile travel, Vatican reform and discussion on hot-button issues like family and sex on the agenda.
Some key moments in Francis' first year give insight to what the future may hold for the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church.
Francis believes the church has too many "small-minded" rules and hasn't been shy about breaking them. Just two weeks after being elected, he washed the feet of a woman and Muslim during a Holy Thursday ceremony reenacting Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet. Vatican rules state it should be performed on men only.
"People were reacting, 'God, he's breaking the rules!'" noted Monsignor Paul Tighe, No. 2 in the Vatican's social communications office. "But in a sense he was bringing us back to the radicality of the choice of Jesus."
Francis has declared at least two saints without going through the Vatican's miracle-confirmation protocol, not to mention his decision to shun the papal apartments for the Vatican hotel.
Will Francis break another rule barring divorced and civilly remarried Catholics from receiving Communion? He has called a church-wide, two-year debate on the issue starting in October. But even proponents of a more merciful approach endorsed by Francis insist core doctrine won't change.
Francis' flouting of rules has extended to security: He ditched the armored popemobile for his first foreign trip to Brazil, and was swarmed by adoring crowds in Rio de Janeiro when his motorcade took a wrong turn.
The Rio trip was also a watershed because he uttered the now-famous words "Who am I to judge" about gays on the flight home. It set the stage for a radical shift in tone about church teaching on homosexuality and opened the debate on whether the church could endorse civil unions — another issue that will come up at the October synod.
Not everyone is pleased. Traditionalist and some conservative Catholics have ranted about the pope's actions, saying it confuses the faithful and undermines church teaching.
"Pope Francis has begun a revolution, and like every revolution there are groups who are opposed to the reformers," Vatican commentator Marco Politi noted. "This is only the tip of an iceberg of opposition and resistance."
If there ever was an indication the Jesuit from Argentina would be a very different kind of pope, it was his decision to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century friar who gave up his wealth to minister to the poor.
The "slum pope," who is the first pontiff to name himself Francis, has made cold-calls to the sick, elderly and unemployed, and took to heart the saint's call to "rebuild my church" through a process of radical reforms of the Vatican bureaucracy.
"He is a Jesuit, but he's very Franciscan in his attitude," said the Rev. Murray Bodo, author of nearly two dozen books on Franciscan spirituality. "Every opportunity that he has he'll call attention to inequality in the economy, to the injustice in economic systems."
But he is still very much a Jesuit, with the Society of Jesus' trademark missionary zeal and collaborative but authoritarian style of governance.
When Pope Benedict XVI abdicated, he insisted he would remain "hidden from the world" in prayer. But Francis has slowly coaxed him out of retirement and given him an increasingly public role in the church, believing that he shouldn't be packed away in a museum like a "statue."
Benedict recently joined Francis for the elevation of 19 new cardinals, was interviewed for an upcoming book on Pope John Paul II and took time to write to an Italian journalist insisting he hadn't been pressured to resign. He'll likely have a cameo at John Paul's April 27 canonization.
With Benedict increasingly back in the spotlight, comparisons to his more crowd-pleasing successor will likely come to the fore, for better or worse.
"To put it very simply, to understand Benedict, you've got to read what he writes," said Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster. "To understand Francis, you have to look at what he does."
Francis has a high-profile trip to the Holy Land in May and a visit to South Korea in August where he will likely make an impassioned plea for peace on the divided peninsula.
In between, he must forge ahead with the unsettling reforms of the Vatican bureaucracy, where he has created a new finance secretariat to parallel the secretariat of state and where an overhaul of the scandal-marred Vatican bank looms large.
October will see the synod on the family. Surveys sent to ordinary Catholics around the world show the vast majority reject church teaching on contraception, divorce and homosexuality.
With expectations so high, it seems almost fitting that Francis marked the anniversary of his historic election on a weeklong silent retreat away from the Vatican.
But a friend, Claudio Epelman, an Argentine Jew who joined Francis for Christmas dinner for seven years while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, said Francis was up to the task.
"He will surprise us. Don't ask me how because I don't know," Edelman said. "But he will go even farther than the expectations."
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Watch My Show: Granite Flats' Scott Swofford Answers Our Showrunner Survey
You probably haven't heard of BYUtv before, but the channel - operated by Brigham Young University - is found in more than 50 million households across the country (including on DirecTV and various cable systems). Now, BYUtv is looking to get into the scripted series game, starting with the Cold War-era Granite Flats.
The show, which airs Sundays at 9/8c, centers on a group of unlikely young heroes in the town of Granite Flats, Colo., where they uncover a secret bigger than anyone expected. Executive producer Scott Swofford says the show was inspired by the real-life Project MKUltra, a human research project conducted by the CIA. With Season 2 of the series underway, Swofford answered our showrunner survey to explain why Granite Flats shouldn't stay a secret much longer.
TV Guide Magazine: I've got room in my life to watch just one more show. Why should it be yours?
Scott Swofford: There's simply nothing else like it. 70% of people who watch the show watch it as a family. Sophisticated, period intrigue for adults, and adventure and romance for kids.
TV Guide Magazine: Who should be watching?
Swofford: Everyone who is weary of dramas, which simply try to pair up the cast in various intimate combinations until they get cancelled.
TV Guide Magazine: What happens if we don't watch your show?
Swofford: You'll either miss the opportunity to watch something remarkable with your significant child, niece, grandchild, or you'll eventually tire of TV altogether.
TV Guide Magazine: What's the best thing anyone has said or written about your show?
Swofford: "If they're aliens, at least they wont be naked." - The New York Times.
TV Guide Magazine: What's the worst thing?
Swofford: Not enough episodes. Eight a year is robbery. Who do you think you are, Downton Abbey?
TV Guide Magazine: Who was right?
Swofford: Both.
TV Guide Magazine: What's an alternate title for your show?
Swofford: Truth, stranger than fiction.
TV Guide Magazine: Give us an equation for your show.
Swofford:Homeland minus nudity and the "F" word, plus The Wonder Years, divided by The Goonies.
TV Guide Magazine: Come up with a premise for the spin-off.
Swofford: The Chief takes his family to D.C. and becomes the FBI's most strong silent type.
TV Guide Magazine: What credit of yours would you prefer we forget?
Swofford:The ButterCream Gang in Secret of Treasure Mountain
TV Guide Magazine: Tell me one thing about your cast.
Swofford: They love the show, and come out of devotion for the cause, because we sure aren't getting them here with money.
TV Guide Magazine: If you weren't producing this show, what series would you most like to be an executive producer on?
Swofford: To Kill a Mockingbird, the series.
TV Guide Magazine: Let's scare the network. Tell us an idea that didn't make it on to the screen.
Swofford: There was actually some talk of aliens. Thank goodness we passed.
TV Guide Magazine: Finish this sentence: "If you like _______, you'll love our show."
Swofford: Grey vs. Black and White.
TV Guide Magazine: Pick another show, any show, to start a fake feud with.
Swofford:The Walking Dead.
TV Guide Magazine: What other show would you like to do a cross-over episode with - and how would that go?
Swofford: The cast of The Americans could arrive in Granite Flats, and take over MKUltra. It would be bumpy.
TV Guide Magazine: How will your show change the face of TV as we know it?
Swofford: If the "we" above is under 30, you've never seen this kind of intense, but enlightening fare.
Here's a look at Sunday night's episode of Granite Flats.
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
View original Watch My Show: Granite Flats' Scott Swofford Answers Our Showrunner Survey at TVGuide.com


text: Cleo by Panache offers panties and bras ranging from a D-J cup. Cleo by Panache is a branch of the renowned brand, Panache. Panache and Cleo by Panache bring women fresh, updated styling designed specifically for the fuller bust with all the support she needs to keep her assets in place. From light foam padding to push up bras and molded bras, you can find the support and comfort you need in Cleo by Panache bras. There are fun colors, prints and patterns throughout the Cleo by Panache fashions. Embellishments of European embroidery, intricate stretch lace, contrast color lace trim and bows, and satin ribbon can also be found on these beautiful bras and panties. Cleo by Panache is youthful and playful with the highest comfort and support for you. Comfort and quality are easily found in all of the styles of Cleo by Panache fashions, including swimwear. Shop HerRoom for the latest styles.


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In yet another sign that dining out is becoming increasingly automated, a Dubai restaurant has installed interactive tables that allow guests to swipe through the menu, update their Facebook status and even order a taxi home. At
in Dubai, interaction with wait staff is minimal, as diners can browse the digital menu, place their order, and watch chefs prepare their meal via 'chef cams' by using the touchscreen tabletops. The interactive tables also allow guests to customize their decor and choose from a range of images and patterns for their desktop 'tablecloth.' While waiting for their meal – anything from tameyya (African falafels) to ratatouille or pasta alfredo – guests can catch up on current news, check in on their Facebook messages or send greetings and virtual cards to diners at other tables. The project aligns nicely with the Dubai Smart City initiative which aims to transform the Middle Eastern hub into one of the most connected destinations in the world. Ebony isn't the first restaurant to go high-tech and paperless. London Asian restaurant i
claims to own that bragging right, when it opened on the pitch of E-Table technology last year. Meanwhile, interactive tabletops could also be coming to a household near you, with the recent launch of a 46-inch Android tablet from Ideum that doubles as a coffee table that can respond to 60 touches simultaneously. The HD display runs on a 64-bit Intel processor and is designed to bear the brunt of spills and dinner-laden plates.


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This White 14" x 4" Shoemaker SD34-GALV-0 Series Vent Cover is designed to fit and cover a 14" wide by 4" high opening. Shoemaker has a complete line of products designed for homes, offices, stores, and many other commercial and residential applications. The quality and simplicity of this double deflection diffuser are only two of the many reasons why Shoemaker Manufacturing leads the field in innovative air-grille design for real world applications. The SD34-GALV-0 Series Spiral Pipe Diffuser (Double Deflection) is manufactured from galvanized steel that went through a chemical process to keep it from corroding. The same process also gave the steel a more durable, hard to scratch finish. This diffuser is designed with a curved saddle that has a neoprene open-cell gasket for a tight seal. Its blades have nylon bushings for easy adjustment and quiet settings. The front louvers on this particular air-grille run parallel to the shortest dimension while the back louvers run parallel to the longest dimension. This diffuser is available in sizes that will fit spiral pipe diameters of 8" – 48". (The spiral pipe's diameter must be 4" larger than the width of the diffuser). The Shoemaker SD34-GALV-0 Series Pipe Diffuser (Double Deflection) comes with a recessed screwdriver-operated opposed blade damper. It is used to regulate the airflow through linked sections of adjacent blades that rotate in the opposite direction. Compared to other damper types, an opposed blade damper maintains a more even airflow. It also provides better control over the airflow in all operating positions. A recessed screwdriver-operated damper prevents any unnecessary adjustments of the damper setting. The standard color of this grille is soft white. Optional designer colors and aluminum paint finishes are also available. Unlike other products, Shoemaker grilles have a baked-on textured polyester powder coat that can resist scratches and does not wear or fade out easily. The Shoemaker Manufacturing Company leads the field in innovative air-grille design and it guarantees that its products are free from defective materials. Be sure to measure the hole opening size instead of measuring the face plate of your old grille. This grille is designed to fit over a 14" x 4"existing hole or duct. Refer to the Specification Sheet for more information.
|Vents and Terminations
|Air Grille and Registers
|Heating and A/C
|Ducting and Venting
|Galvanized Steel
|Mpn #
|2.24 lbs.


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Suicide bomber kills guard at U.S. Embassy in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey - In the second deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in five months, a suicide bomber struck the American Embassy in Ankara on Friday, killing a Turkish security guard in what the White House described as a terrorist attack.
Washington immediately warned Americans to stay away from all U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey and to be wary in large crowds.
Turkish officials said the bombing was linked to leftist domestic militants.
The attack drew condemnation from Turkey, the U.S., Britain and other nations and officials from both Turkey and the U.S. pledged to work together to fight terrorism.
"We strongly condemn what was a suicide attack against our embassy in Ankara, which took place at the embassy's outer security perimeter," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"A suicide bombing on the perimeter of an embassy is by definition an act of terror," he said. "It is a terrorist attack."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said police believe the bomber was connected to a domestic leftist militant group. Carney, however, said the motive for the attack and who was behind it was not known.
A Turkish TV journalist was seriously wounded in the 1:15 p.m. blast in the Turkish capital, and two other guards had lighter wounds, officials said.
The state-run Anadolu Agency identified the bomber as Ecevit Sanli. It said the 40-year-old Turkish man was a member of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, which has claimed responsibility for assassinations and bombings since the 1970s.
The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States but had been relatively quiet in recent years.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her farewell speech to State Department staff moments after she formally resigned as secretary of state, said "we were attacked and lost one of our foreign service nationals."
She said she spoke with U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, "our team there and my Turkish counterpart. I told them how much we valued their commitment and their sacrifice."
Sen. John Kerry, the incoming secretary of state, also was briefed.
The U.S. Embassy building in Ankara is heavily protected and located near several other embassies, including those of Germany and France.
U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey have been targeted previously by terrorists. In 2008, an attack blamed on al-Qaida-affiliated militants outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul left three assailants and three policemen dead.
On Sept. 11, 2012, terrorists attacked a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The attackers in Libya were suspected to have ties to Islamist extremists, and one is in custody in Egypt.
Friday's bombing occurred at a security checkpoint at the side entrance to the U.S. Embassy, which is used by staff.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said a man detonated a suicide vest at the checkpoint on the outer perimeter of the embassy compound.
"He came to this first point of access to the compound ... where you have to have your ID checked, you have to go through security," Nuland said.
The guard who was killed was standing outside the checkpoint, while the two wounded guards "were standing in a more protected area," said Interior Minister Muammer Guler said.
The two were treated on the scene and did not require hospital treatment, he said.
"The level of security protection at our facility in Ankara ensured that there were not significantly more deaths and injuries than there could have been," Nuland told reporters in Washington.
"This is one of the compounds where we have been making steady security upgrades over the last decade," Nuland said. "And in fact, the attack was at one of the exterior compound access sites. So it was far from the main building, and it was a result of the way that was hardened that we only lost the one local security guard. And in fact, there were other security guards inside the building behind the glass who were only shaken up by this."
While praising its security and the response of Turkish authorities, Nuland noted that the embassy in Ankara is due for a completely new compound in future. She described the current main building as a 1950s complex that "needs a full upgrade."
The Hurriyet newspaper said staff at the embassy took shelter in a "safe room" inside the compound soon after the explosion.
Police swarmed the area and immediately cordoned it off. Forensic investigators in white outfits and gloves soon combed the site.
TV news video showed the embassy door blown off its hinges. The blast also shattered the windows of nearby businesses, littering debris on the ground and across the road. The inside of the embassy did not appear to be damaged.
Television video also showed what appeared to be a U.S. guard in a helmet and body armor surveying the area from the roof of an embassy building.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy thanked Turkey for "its solidarity and outrage over the incident."
Ricciardone declared that the U.S. and Turkey "will continue to fight terrorism together," and described the U.S. Embassy compound as secure.
"From today's event, it is clear that we both suffer from this terrible, terrible problem of today's world. We are determined after events like this even more to cooperate together until we defeat this problem together," he said.
Erdogan echoed that sentiment, saying the attack aimed to disturb Turkey's "peace and prosperity" and demonstrated a need for international cooperation against terrorism.
"We will stand firm and we will overcome this together," he said.
Nuland said U.S. officials were "working closely with the Turkish national police to make a full assessment of the damage and the casualties, and to begin an investigation."
Carney, the White House spokesman, said the attack would strengthen the resolve of Turkey and the U.S.
"Turkey remains one of our strongest partners in the region, a NATO ally," he said. "We have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Turks to counter terror threats. Turkey has been a very important ally, broadly speaking and in the effort to counter terrorism."
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vowed Turkey would spare no effort in protecting diplomatic facilities.
"We have always shown great sensitivity to the protection of foreign missions and we will continue to do so," he said.
The injured journalist was 38-year-old Didem Tuncay, who until recently had worked for NTV television. A hospital official said she was "not in critical condition."
Ricciardone visited her in the hospital and told reporters outside that he had invited her to the U.S. Embassy for tea.
He also paid tribute to the Turkish guard who was killed, calling him a "Turkish hero" who died while defending U.S. and Turkish staff.
Americans in Turkey were warned to avoid visiting the embassy or U.S. consulates in Istanbul and Adana until further notice and were told to register on the State Department's website.
"The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey to be alert to the potential for violence, to avoid those areas where disturbances have occurred, and to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings," the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul said in a statement.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and said Turkey and the U.S. will get the U.K.'s full support as they seek to hold those responsible to account.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmusen added his condemnation, calling it "an outrageous attack" that "shows a reckless disregard for human life and for the inviolability of diplomatic staff."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message to President Barack Obama, saying he was "shocked and saddened to learn of the vicious terrorist attack."
Ed Royce, the chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the attack was "another stark reminder of the constant terrorist threat against U.S. facilities, personnel and interests abroad."
"Coming after Benghazi, it underscores the need for a comprehensive review of security at our diplomatic posts. The committee stands ready to assist the State Department in protecting our diplomats," he said in a statement.
Turkey's parliament speaker, Cemil Cicek, linked Friday's attack to the arrest last month of nine Turkish human rights lawyers, who prosecutors have accused of links to the DHKP-C.
"There was an operation against this organization," Cicek said and suggested the attack could be an attempt by the group to "say 'We are still here, we are alive.'"
James F. Jeffrey, a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who was U.S. ambassador in Turkey between 2008 and 2010, said DHKP-C was a resilient group that had been "relatively quiescent" in recent years. He said the organization was born out of the 1970s European tradition of pro-communist terrorism, and he drew a parallel with Germany's now-defunct Baader-Meinhof gang.
"I do not see them as a major threat compared to al-Qaida," Jeffrey said of DHKP-C in a conference call with journalists. The group, he said, typically attacks with small arms and conducts periodic assaults "just to make sure people know they're still out there."
He said it seemed to have "very deep roots" and means of recruitment in several urban centers, including Istanbul, Ankara and possibly the coastal city of Izmir. Jeffrey said it was unlikely the attack was a response to recent regional developments - including, for example, Israel's strike this week on a Syrian target - but did not rule out that DHKP-C conducted the bombing as a kind of subcontractor for another group.
He also said the embassy's strong defenses worked as they were supposed to, with the "minimum number of casualties" for such a grave attack.
"It's a very hard perimeter to crack, as we saw today," Jeffrey said.
In past years, the DHKP-C group has spearheaded hunger strikes against Turkish prison conditions that led to the deaths of dozens of inmates. The protesters opposed a maximum-security system in which prisoners were held in small cells instead of large wards.
In September, police said a leftist militant threw a grenade and then blew himself up outside a police station in Istanbul, killing a police officer and injuring seven others. Police identified the bomber as a member of the DHKP-C.
In 2008, Turkish police said they had foiled a bomb plot by DHKP-C against some U.S. companies in Turkey.
Turkey has also seen attacks linked to homegrown Islamic militants tied to al-Qaida. In a 2003 attack on the British consulate in Istanbul, a suspected Islamic militant rammed an explosive-laden pickup truck into the main gate, killing 58 people, including the British consul-general.


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The grand prize winner of the 2007 Delete Key Awards competition for the year's worst writing in books is …
Toxic Bachelors by Danielle Steel
C'mon, you're probably saying, this one was too easy. Sure, Danielle Steel writes at a fourth-grade level (technically, grade 4. 8), according to the readability statistics that are part of the spell-checker on Microsoft Word. But don't we all know how bad her writing is? Not if you haven't read Toxic Bachelors. You may not be surprised to hear that this novel has plenty of unintentionally comic lines like: "'Yes,' he said succinctly." But it's worse than you think.
Nobody expects social realism from Steel, but it's still shocking to find Jews portrayed as monsters in this novel. Toxic Bachelors is about three men single men, each of whom represents a spiritual as well as social type. Charlie is WASP-y, Gray makes a religion of art, and Adam is Jewish. Guess which one has a weak father, a mother who is "a nagging bitch" and a spoiled sister? That's right, Adam. His parents are cruel enough to make the Portnoys look like candidates for a lifetime achievement award from Parents magazine. And he has a special contempt for a sister who committed the ultimate sin: "She had never done anything with her life except get married and have children."
Steel gets away with this because most critics have written her off and no longer review her. Why review somebody, the thinking goes, who writes only mindless romances? Toxic Bachelors presents an answer: If nobody holds her accountable, she'll keep serving up nasty stereotypes, masquerading as a fairy tale.
Original review on One-Minute Book Reviews: Oct. 28, 2007, "Danielle Steel Gets Toxic," archived with the October posts and in the "Novels" category.
The first and second runners-up were announced earlier today. The full short list appeared on Feb. 28 and the titles of books that received Honorable Mentions for the list on March 2. A list of questions and answers about the Delete Key Awards appeared on Feb. 27. All of these posts are archived with those of the month in which they appeared on One-Minute Book Reviews. Thank you for visiting this site.
Visit www.janiceharayda.com for information about the creator of the Delete Key Awards, Janice Harayda, a novelist and award-winning journalist has been the book columnist for Glamour, the book editor of the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, and a vice-president of the National Book Critics Circle.
© 2007 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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Hold the Phone
I want to take a moment to stomp on something that is burning out of control.
During the recent Supreme Court hearings, and in self-serving press conferences afterward, we've been hearing a common statement from lawyers, activists and citizens throughout the country which is always raised in culture war battles–"the Founding Fathers couldn't foresee this."
I've been working on a project for about seven months now that is requiring some pretty close reading of lots of 16th, 17th and 18th century writing. Several years ago, my wife gave me a copy of the New York Times Bestseller List of July 1776, which pretty much tells us exactly what the Founding Fathers were reading, particularly Thomas Jefferson. For nearly 175 years, most of these books have been out of print, and even though I've had the chance to read parts in archives, there has never been broad access. In the past ten years, Liberty Fund is putting all of this stuff back into print–both as part of its 1000 volume library on natural law and its Thomas Hollis Library series (Thomas Hollis ran a book of the month club in the 18th century to which many of the Founding Fathers were eager subscribers) It is now becoming much more evident and much more certain what our Founding Fathers were reading. And what we're discovering is that Founding Fathers were debating Obamacare, marriage equality, creches and menorahs on town commons. In fact, what shocks me is how completely they were thinking about these issues when they wrote not only the Declaration of Independence but also the Constitution. In fact, Liberty Fund is also publishing Spenser's work, with his criticisms of Obamacare, stimulus spending and the XL pipeline, all written over 150 years ago, and all based on writings that pre dated that drafting of the Constitution. Drones? Gitmo? The Global War on Terror? Hell, Grotius was writing about those in the seventeenth century in Holland!
It has occurred to me, with this wealth of material now readily available, that rather than proclaim that modern jurists have to wing it because this is all new ground, because the Founding Fathers couldn't anticipate technology, social issues and modern times, that the judges and lawyers who think about these things really need to take some time off, head to the beach, sit on the sand with a good stiff drink, some sun screen and a boddice ripping copy of Hugo Grotius's Rights of War and Peace, Volume I, II and III. Our Founding Fathers were smarter and more perceptive than we know. All we really have to do is frack into their wisdom.


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A Southern novelist and short story writer considers the literature of her region and others
Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose. By Flannery O'Connor. Selected and edited by Sally and Robert Fitzgerald. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 256 pp., $15, paperback.
By Janice Harayda
Most people associate the Georgia-born Flannery O'Connor with novels and short stories, but she was equally good at nonfiction. She proves it in this elegant collection of essays on life, literature and peacocks, birds that captivated her.
Sally and Robert Fitzgerald adapted the pieces in Mystery and Manners from talks from O'Connor gave at colleges and elsewhere, and part of their charm lies in their conversational tone. Some of their topics are classroom-worthy: "The Nature and Aim of Fiction," "The Teaching of Literature," "Catholic Novelists and their Readers."
But O'Connor deals with these subjects as writer, not a professor, and her perspective on them is always fresh and down-to-earth and never pedantic. One of the most interesting essays deals with the prevalence in Southern fiction of the grotesque, which she defines as something "which an ordinary man may never experience in his ordinary life." Why do oddballs so often turn up in the literature of the region? O'Connor responds: "Whenever I'm asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one."
Other comments on and quotations from Mystery and Manners appeared on One-Minute Book Reviews on March 12, 2007, "Flannery O'Connor on 'Compassion' in Writing" and March 21, 2007 "Flannery O'Connor on the Purpose of Symbols in Fiction." O'Connor's editor, Robert Giroux, comments on the critics' response to her work in the March 4, 2009, post "The Writer Is Insane." The quote came from Brad Gooch's new biography, Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor, lucidly reviewed by Jonathan Yardley in the Washington Post.
This is the third in a series of daily posts this week on Southern literature. Tomorrow: Peter Taylor's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Summons to Memphis.


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On view now, The Sun and Other Stars: Katy Grannan and Charlie White fills three galleries in BCAM with photographic portraits, videos, and other ephemera by these two California artists. Grannan's photographs depict adults captured on the street in front of stark white walls, while White's portraits largely depict blue-eyed blonde teenagers in a studio setting. Unframed's Stephanie Sykes talked to White in more detail about his works in the exhibition.
What questions animated the work currently on display in the exhibition?
The question that resides beneath most of my work regards the location of tension, and how tension, both within the image itself, and occurring between the viewer and the image, results in a critical relation to social and/or personal tolerances. From this investigation (which I've approached through various subjects—from the monster, to the surrogate, to historical benchmarks), I have arrived at the American teen image and the power of this subject in American culture.
As a result, the exhibition spans a few years of related work dating back to 2004, when I first began to document teens and to collect teen-related ephemera. However, image-wise, the starting point within the exhibition is the two portraits, Boy Posed and Girl Posed, both 2008. These two works mark my transition to portraiture and, more importantly, to the overt study of teen subjects. Although the teen image has been present in my work for much longer, it was around the time of creating these works that I began to strip away fiction, narrative, and place, and to focus on subject alone, clinically and without story. From these works evolved a number of new directions including film (American Minor), animation (OMG BFF LOL, and most recently A Life in B Tween) , and performance (Casting Call). I think the exhibition covers all of these tangents and offers a varied understanding of how my questioning of tension has arrived at the complex and lush space of the popular teen image and its numerous forms.
Can you tell us how you chose, approached, and worked with the subjects depicted in your portraits?
This varied. In Casting Call, I followed an industry standard and laid that out to be observed by the public, and in the studio images I enacted a somewhat similar model—casting, selecting, meeting, and ultimately shooting each subject. Working with minors requires the parents' involvement, and in many cases I came to know my subjects and explain what I was aiming to capture in their image. I do not ever know my subject, however; that is, I do not photograph people I have a personal understanding of. My subjects are selected based on their image, what they evoke. For example, the young woman in Girl Posed had magical blonde hair, like a Barbie doll, and the boy of Boy Posed brought to mind 70's heart throb Christopher Atkins. These forces affected my selection and direction of each subject.
This exhibition marks the first time you and Katy Grannan have been formally paired. How do you feel your work relates to one another?
I think it offers a bridge between practices that most people would not afford, and thus a view of how seemingly different approaches relate and reinforce one another. For example, the separate approaches of street photography versus studio photography, or of looking at adult subjects versus children, or creating a candid cultural record versus more clinical documents. When these different approaches are collapsed within the cultural intersection of ambition, desire, and loss, they no longer divide along the lines of how they are made. Rather, they can be seen in terms of why they are made that way and how that process allows certain ideas and issues surrounding the subject to be conveyed.
Although your series are very different from one another, they both highlight dichotomies between anonymity versus visibility, actuality versus aspiration. Can you elaborate?
I can speak to my work in relation to actuality versus aspiration, which I think sums up one aspect of the exhibition's pathology, and the invisible force behind many of the motivations located in both the subject's desire to be documented and the manner in which the document is formed. The works on display are in a continual dialog; the positions of the Boy Posed and Girl Posed echo the poses of Magazine Collection, the Casting Call images become a log much like a stack of head shots, mug shots, or face shots accompanying online posts, the Entertainment Translation Studies are informed by the almost imperceptible Barbie images within Research Material, and all of the work is offered a leitmotif under the tinny, high-pitched jingly sparkle of A Life in B Tween. All of these forces play on actuality versus aspiration, from the real subject looking longingly through posed eyes absent of a person, to the branded look of popular material, to the complex relationship between adult, teen, and children's materials made clear in the collapse of likenesses in Research Material.
Is there an element of regionalism in this exhibition, or would these photos have the same meaning if shot outside of California?
These works are about location. Not region, but location—the location of Hollywood, of the California sun as idea, of promise, of blondness, of entertainment and ideas of entertainment. This location is globally recognized; it is a brand, and that is the point. Its role outside of place is far more important than its function within a specific location. It is an export.
Stephanie Sykes